Hattori was not by any stretch of the word a very sociable wolf. It wasn't that he didn't know how to speak to others, rather he simply preferred not to unless the situation called for it. For the most part he left the residents of Ashen to their own devices, but there was one wolf who remained that he had not yet spoken to. A mistake on his part, if he was being honest, but one he was swift to correct. He sought her out, moving between the pale trees as he approached the shrine. Despite being the centre of the Ashen Empire it was always quiet here but not lifeless, the wolf in question sat with her back to him, facing the shrine. Distracted by something or other Hattori could not see from where he stood.

Wondering whether or not she'd heard him coming, Hattori paused as he considered his next course of action. He could have cleared his throat to announce himself but he felt as though that would be quite rude, she was Venom's sister after all and thus she deserved respect regardless of his own rank. Striding up to the shrine, Hattori regarded the waters with a slight wrinkle of his nose before turning to Calamity. Antlers aside she looked very much alike her sisters, swathed in black and white but a fair deal shorter, though not dramatically so. He made a pointed effort to blink a couple of times but his gaze remained in her general direction.

"I do not wish to intrude but I believe we have not met." He offered her a short and shallow bow before standing tall once more."I am Hattori."

position changing, never engaging it's not just the dawn that's breaking She was staring long and hard at the runes in front of her. Calamity had recast the stones several times and gone over the possible meanings in her head, but each time her gaze lingered so long upon them that it became unfocused and blurry and she was forced to recast them again. It was frustrating. Her mind was a million miles away up in the atmosphere. So unconscious she was of her surroundings, Calamity started a little when Hattori finally spoke. His voice was unfamiliar enough that she felt panic rise in her throat until she turned around and recognized him. Oh. It was just... him. That horned fellow who had taken such a shine to Venom, and her to him. Mistrustful by nature, she evaluated him with a cold purple gaze. Objectively he was attractive - large, strong, imposing. Just the type of male Deathbelle may have fawned over in her day. It was no wonder Venom had attached herself to him. "You are intruding, and my name is Calamity," she responded, quirking an eyebrow. "But I'm sure you already knew that." He must have a purpose for visiting her. She had never seen him by the shrine before, so it wasn't like he was here to pray. This was a holy place. Calamity turned and cast the stones out before herself again with Hattori's intentions firmly in mind. Maybe she'd get a good read on him this way. She made a quiet noise in the back of her throat, almost like a cough, and then looked up and addressed him with her eyes a bit more welcoming. "You've recently taken on some great responsibility. It weighs heavily on you, however, you've also achieved a personal goal, perhaps, by taking on this burden? Interesting. I have seen you spending much time with Venom. Perhaps she's tasked you with something particularly difficult?" Her runestones were never wrong - however, sometimes their meaning was occluded. Calamity's leveled gaze gauged Hattori's response carefully. "calamity ordains you unworthy"

Hattori said or did nothing, his expression remaining as aloof and neutral as ever. Like a book firmly sealed shut. He wasn't overly surprised by her curt response, all the of the Klein Abraxas' women he'd met thus far possessed a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue, it was only natural that Calamity was cut from the same cloth. At a push he appreciated her honesty, that she didn't beat around the tree or however the saying went, but even then she was still a little too on the nose for his tastes. Had she been from Nippon and spoken to her superior as such she would have no doubt received a scolding or two but even with his rank Hattori wasn't the sort to get offended easily. It would take more than snide comments to get under his skin.

He simply rumbled in agreement, content to leave it at that.

Calamity didn't hold onto that state of mind for long. With a calm, almost knowing gaze, she began to speak of his present and future, as though she had some sort of secret insight. The cynic in him was quick to assume she was simply making an educated guess, she had admitted she'd seen him about and thus no doubt had at least some idea of his new rank and duties. String that together with some vague speculations and she came across as a convincing fortune teller. But perhaps he was being a little too harsh, he'd never been a religious man nor did he follow Shinto beliefs but during his travels he liked listening to stories and learning of cultures that were far removed from his own.

He looked to the stones that were laid out before her, very much keeping his paws to himself. Toxicity had implied this was a place of worship or at least one of importance to her family, whilst he did not yet understand the nature of their religion it wasn't difficult for him to act with common decency.

"Is that what the stones tell you?" He asked, a genuine hint of curiosity slipping into his voice. "But yes, you are correct." He saw no reason as to why he should hide it from her, she saw things as they were. More or less.  "Even with the changes Venom has implemented there is still much to be done."

position changing, never engaging it's not just the dawn that's breaking He was a man of few words and she liked that. Needless talking had always bothered her; it left both parties with less time to properly think. "That is what the stones tell me," she affirmed with a dainty nod. Ah, her precious runes. They were always right - when it came to others. It was her own future that she couldn't foretell and her own choices that she agonized endlessly over. Everything else came easily. "Tell me more about these changes. I've spent time repenting and have not spoken to my sister much recently." Ever since their return from the volcano, relations between the three of them had been strained. Pestilence's death still weighed heavily upon her conscience but she strove to move forward in a godly way, which meant practicing her craft and spending time praying for guidance by the shrine. Venom had been embroiled in whatever revolution Hattori spoke of. Calamity was curious about it, but felt smugly safe in her position due to her familial ties - which would, perhaps, be proven wrong. There were surprising developments afoot, the least of which was Venom's new boything. He was carrying himself with slightly more authority than she'd seen last. She knew her prediction to be true, but did Venom also grant him some sort of dominion over the pack? Calamity's eyes narrowed slightly. "calamity ordains you unworthy"

Hattori smothered the urge to raise a questioning brow. What did a woman like her have to repent for? It wasn't really any of his business and he had little interesting in prying, but the thought of lingering on ones mistakes seemed like a waste of time. It was in the past and thus it could not be changed, surely it was better to focus on the road ahead and strive to do better, be better. But he doubted any of Abraxas blood would care to hear that, especially from him. He looked back ahead at the shrine and the grey of his eyes caught the purplish gleam in reflection, calm and thoughtful as he remained unblinking.

He didn't appreciate how she posed the question but Hattori made nothing of it, she'd been born and raised as royalty. Most woman of her calibre tended to carry an air of superiority about them, still clutching onto their silver spoons. No matter how rusted.

"Regardless, I am sure you noticed that Ashen was not as it should be. Those who claimed to be loyal did nothing to further it's name and simply relied on their linage to get by. They are gone now."  He stated it so matter-of-factly it was as though it was an absolute. Marked as inevitable the moment he'd first stepped over Ashen's borders."Adjustments have been made to the ranks, but your role remains as is. Continue to serve your duties well. The Empress is also looking to expand the reach of her Empire and has set her sight on Obsidian Beach. We shall claim it as ours once we have gathered enough supplies."